5 Problems with Logos 8 Notes

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The new interface and combined note file is very nice and appreciated. I moved away from Logos notes a year ago after many years of frustration so I looked this new version over to see if I could come back. I found these issues:

1. Kudos for fixing a LONG time problem with Notes: exporting to Word without using tables. This is a BIG improvement. Also BIG improvement: I can now select a group of notes and ONLY export those I've selected. These are important productivity improvements. However it's not quite enough. I want control over how things look and print as well as being able to download my notes and sermon files to my Kindle so I eventually move notes to Word. I'd rather keep my notes in Logos, but the past versions made exporting impractical. You've improved, but it would work much smoother if you could use just a few Word Heading styles, you know, Heading 1 for the note title and reference/anchors and maybe use a bibliography style for citation references. If you allowed a Heading 2 or 3 in notes that would translate to Word when exported, that would be icing on the cake. But until you use at least the ones I mentioned I'll stick to my Word files, though with the improvements, I may go back to notes a bit.

2. Filters expand back uninvited. This is a time waster. I'd rather disable some of those filter groups, but at the very least they should stay collapsed if I collapsed them no matter what else I do. Right now they re-expand anytime I change a filter selection at the top.

3. Lost sorting options. Can't select to sort by reference, title or note color. I had experimented in Logos 7 with using note color to organize notes. Poof - gone? Also found that the Logos 8 help file for Notes is still talking about Logos 7.

What is the "Notebook" option in the sorting option list (by Dated Modified, Created, Notebook?)

4. Not critical, but I'd still like to see the condensedview of notes.

5. There may be a way, but it isn't obvious to me how to share/give a note file to another specific logos user. I've tried using instructions from another user about using Faithlife but it just didn't work and is too complicated to explain to others. Sharing with specific users has been a long time issue with me. I'd really like to share note files with other staff members and users but while Logos has promised this it hasn't made it easy (or for my case even possible).

I just noticed another thing that changed in the Logos 8 version of notes. I copied and pasted a section of text from a book and found that the resource citation added at the end is NOT a link as has been the case in all past versions of Logos. If I want it to be a link I now have to manually create it. This isn't acceptable.

I also am missing note titles. I have used Note documents for my sermon outlines and used the title section frequently. It seems odd that you would take the titles off if you are trying to make the notes tools more organized.

I notice yet another issue with notes. First let me say that having a list of tags to select from is very nice and finally makes use of tags - and in an efficient manner. Except for one thing. The tags are listed by number frequency rather than alphabetically which shocks me. I don't access information by how much information I have, but by topic. I certainly hope this gets changed.

I notice yet another issue with notes. First, let me say that having a list of tags to select from is very nice and finally makes use of tags - and in an efficient manner. Except for one thing. The tags are listed by number frequency rather than alphabetically which shocks me. I don't access information by how much information I have, but by topic. I certainly hope this gets changed.

I brought this up during the beta testing of the new Notes Tool. I hope they reconsider this decision.

I just noticed another thing that changed in the Logos 8 version of notes. I copied and pasted a section of text from a book and found that the resource citation added at the end is NOT a link as has been the case in all past versions of Logos. If I want it to be a link I now have to manually create it. This isn't acceptable.

1. Missing Resources. I added a note to a notebook on Communion. The note was a simply a copy and paste from "The Imitation of Christ." When I remove all filters I never see this resource in the resource section of the filters.

2. Missing Notebooks. When I select the filter view (as opposed to the Notebook view) and expand the Notebooks section, about half of my notebooks are missing. If I switch to the Notebook view, they are all shown.

1. Missing Resources. I added a note to a notebook on Communion. The note was a simply a copy and paste from "The Imitation of Christ." When I remove all filters I never see this resource in the resource section of the filters.

2. Missing Notebooks. When I select the filter view (as opposed to the Notebook view) and expand the Notebooks section, about half of my notebooks are missing. If I switch to the Notebook view, they are all shown.

1. I don't think this is a bug. Did you anchor the note to that text or just paste the text in the body of the note?

2. There is a current but about only 30 notebooks being displayed in the filters. I believe this applies to tags, etc, as well. Are you able to search for the notebook in the filter?

Jim, I find the removal of sorting by anchored references to be a real big problem as you did. I talked to tech support and they confirmed it has gone.

Since I am teaching using my Notes, I have started dragging them to a place based on the Bible reference. That seems to be working. I study and build my teaching notes on the PC Logos 8 and teach using my MacBook Logos 8 and the notes that I have dragged into place is (at this time) coming over from PC to Mac. I just pray this is not messed up in the future by Logos. Also, the promise that sorting by references may come back is encouraging.

I was promised by the Logos salesman that when I upgraded from Logos 7 Basic to Logos 8 Silver the "Sermon Starter Tool" would allow the ability to build notes and even teach from then just like MS Word, but that was not correct. The "Sermon Starter" has less formatting features than the Notes tool. The formatting feature that I miss the most is colored fonts. So I will be using Notes unless I go back to Personal Books which is one of my main loved features in Logos as for teaching.

Jim, I find the removal of sorting by anchored references to be a real big problem as you did. I talked to tech support and they confirmed it has gone.

Since I am teaching using my Notes, I have started dragging them to a place based on the Bible reference. That seems to be working. I study and build my teaching notes on the PC Logos 8 and teach using my MacBook Logos 8 and the notes that I have dragged into place is (at this time) coming over from PC to Mac. I just pray this is not messed up in the future by Logos. Also, the promise that sorting by references may come back is encouraging.

I was promised by the Logos salesman that when I upgraded from Logos 7 Basic to Logos 8 Silver the "Sermon Starter Tool" would allow the ability to build notes and even teach from then just like MS Word, but that was not correct. The "Sermon Starter" has less formatting features than the Notes tool. The formatting feature that I miss the most is colored fonts. So I will be using Notes unless I go back to Personal Books which is one of my main loved features in Logos as for teaching.

Missing Functionality

The following features from the old system are not yet present in the new system. We’re working to bring many of them to the new note system, and we’d love your feedback on which you’d like to see first.

Upcoming Features

We intend to work on the functionality below in roughly the following order. Your feedback can help us prioritize the most important features next.

Did you anchor the note to that text or just paste the text in the body of the note?

Taking a clue from your comment I found several things.

It does appear that the only resources shown are ones that have been used as an anchor. That basically ruins years of note taking I've done where I copy and paste into notes.

When I "anchored" my Imitation of Christ note to that resource, then it showed up, sort of. I had accessed the note by selecting the Notebook icon then clicking on the note. When I added the anchor, the resource showed up in the left column. So this was showing me a resource used in that notebook.

However if I selected the Filter Icon in the left column, the resource didn't show up. As you say the list is limited, and I assume the others are as well.

Finally I can't fathom that pasting something copied from a resource into a note does not also past a link to the source. To me that's part of the power of Logos notes.

I'm done. As usual, Logos has some great ideas but executes them in ways that just don't work for me.

Did you anchor the note to that text or just paste the text in the body of the note?

Taking a clue from your comment I found several things.

It does appear that the only resources shown are ones that have been used as an anchor. That basically ruins years of note taking I've done where I copy and paste into notes.

When I "anchored" my Imitation of Christ note to that resource, then it showed up, sort of. I had accessed the note by selecting the Notebook icon then clicking on the note. When I added the anchor, the resource showed up in the left column. So this was showing me a resource used in that notebook.

However if I selected the Filter Icon in the left column, the resource didn't show up. As you say the list is limited, and I assume the others are as well.

Finally I can't fathom that pasting something copied from a resource into a note does not also past a link to the source. To me that's part of the power of Logos notes.

I'm done. As usual, Logos has some great ideas but executes them in ways that just don't work for me.

I understand the frustration and it is a valid point. You can do one of two things, you can switch back to the Old Notes system for the time being, or you can wait for them to finish adding all of the old features that are slated to go into the new tool. Resource links are one of those features that is on its way. https://www.logos.com/faq/notes

I notice yet another issue with notes. First, let me say that having a list of tags to select from is very nice and finally makes use of tags - and in an efficient manner. Except for one thing. The tags are listed by number frequency rather than alphabetically which shocks me. I don't access information by how much information I have, but by topic. I certainly hope this gets changed.

I brought this up during the beta testing of the new Notes Tool. I hope they reconsider this decision.